


Play Me Like A Drum

by speedyvibraniumdevil



Series: Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver [3]
Category: Avengers, Bucky Barnes - Fandom, Captain America, MCU, Marvel, Pietro Maximoff - Fandom, Quicksilver - Fandom, Winter Soldier - Fandom
Genre: Aaron Taylor-Johnson - Freeform, Alternative Rock Band, Angst, Base Player Clint, Blood, Cheating, Cussing, Drinking, Drummer Pietro, F/M, Fluff, Guitar Player Steve, Heartbreak, Implied Smut, Jimmy Eat World, Lead Singer Bucky, Making Out, Modern AU, Punching, mild violence, pietro being a little shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-06-14 09:53:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15386211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/speedyvibraniumdevil/pseuds/speedyvibraniumdevil
Summary: A modern day AU. Your best friend, Pietro Maximoff, and your boyfriend, Bucky Barnes are in a rock band called Insomnia. While launching their first tour, you go along with them, as per Bucky’s request. It’s all fun and games until something happens and you realize that Bucky might not be the man for you after all.





	1. The Cheater

**Author's Note:**

> This story starts off with Bucky/Reader, but ends with Pietro/Reader.
> 
> The song used in this first chapter is called "Bleed American" by Jimmy Eat World.

The sweetly aggressive sound of guitar, drums, and bass mixing together blared through the speakers. Bodies danced against you, arms raised, singing along to the music. And you did the same. Your feet were aching from standing up for so long, but you didn’t care, you were used to it. There was a wide smile on your face and you were just happy to be here.

All the lights were off in the venue save for the phones that were recording the performance and the spotlight that illuminated the stage a few feet ahead of you. On that stage was one of the best alternative bands in the world. Of course your were probably biased, considering that you loved and knew every single one of them all personally.

Their band was called  _Insomnia_  (a name that was coined after they all discovered that they suffered from Insomnia at one point in time).

There was Steve Rogers, who was the lead guitar.

Clint Barton, who was on bass.

Your childhood best friend, Pietro Maximoff, who killed it on drums.

And then there was your favorite person, your boyfriend, Bucky Barnes. The lead singer.

You met through Pietro, when they had all initially formed the band. They’d practice in the Maximoff’s garage sometimes and you’d go over to watch with his twin sister, Wanda. Everyone was always crushing on the boys, Bucky in particular. Eventually he set his eyes on you and the two of you started dating a few months before they finally went on their first tour, which was this very one.

He was the one who suggested that you come along with them and Pietro thought it was a fantastic idea, so you happily agreed. Why wouldn’t you want to travel across the country with great people and great music? Now, you were standing front row at their fifth show, supporting your favorite people as you always have, but in a much bigger setting. And with other people that loved their music just as you did.

The song they were playing ended with a bang of the drums. All of them had sweat glistening on their body and their hair was slick with it. You could see Pietro’s chest heaving beneath his gray muscle t-shirt. He caught your eye and he flashed you a smile, which you returned. Bucky backed away from the mic, his own muscles were threatening to rip through his black t-shirt which was moist with perspiration. He picked up a water bottle from the edge of the stage and winked at you. You blew a kiss at him.

He downed half of its contents and then proceeded to pour the rest all over himself, which caused the entire crowd to scream and woop. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes and you could see Steve shaking his head. Bucky pushed his now soaked hair out of his face, throwing you a grin before throwing the bottle backstage.  _What a fucking show off._

He sauntered back over to the microphone.

“This next song is called ‘Bleed American’,” he announced.

In response, everyone cheered in excitement and so did you. It was one of your favorites.

To count it down, Pietro hit his drumsticks together and on the count of four, he, Steve, and Sam all played their instruments. After a few beats, Bucky started singing with a voice that could make any girl’s panties drop.

> _I’m not alone cause the TV’s on yeah._
> 
> _I’m not crazy cause I take the right pills everyday._
> 
> _And rest, clean your conscious, clear your thoughts with speyside with your grain._
> 
> _Clean your conscious, clear your thoughts with speyside._
> 
> _Salt, sweat, sugar on the asphalt._
> 
> _Our hearts littering the topsoil._
> 
> _Tune in and we can get the last call._

* * *

 

After two more songs, the show ended with the echoing of a guitar note. Bucky thanked the audience and while he did, you pushed past the crowd of people to get backstage before they started leaving in waves. You flashed your pass to the security guard and were permitted inside in an instant.

You went into a large hallway with concrete walls and black floors. There were black boxes stack up on each other that were meant to carry equipment and instruments. There were people with headsets and at the edge of the hallway that led to the main stage was their manager, Tony. 

He was busy looking at his phone. You went over and stood next to him while you waited for the boys to come back in.

He glanced up at you and said, “I think it went swimmingly, don’t you?”

You nodded, “Oh yeah, I think it was pretty bitchin’.”

He snorted, “Yeah, bitchin’. If Barnes keeps up the whole wet t-shirt thing, he’ll have the ladies all over him in no time.”

You shot him a glare and then smacked him in the arm.

“He doesn’t need the ladies all over him, Stark. He has me.”

He stuttered, “Right, right. Sorry.”

You rolled your eyes. You knew it was inevitable that both men and women would be fawning over your boyfriend. He was hot and the lead singer of a band, you knew this, and you couldn’t blame them. But you didn’t need Stark or anyone else to push the idea of “ladies all over him” when you were right there to love him.

The door that led to the stage then opened, there was the rushing sound of people talking out beyond the stage. You perked up when the members of  _Insomnia_  finally came through. 

First it was Clint and then Steve. You gave them wide smiles and they high-fived you. Pietro was next. He had a pair of drumsticks in his hand and they were broken in half. He followed your gaze and lifted them up.

“I guess it’s not a good show if I don’t break at least one of them right?” he smirked.

“You can add it to the collection you already have.”

“I’ll save it as a souvenir for Wanda,” he said as he continued down the hallway.

You giggled, but it quickly turned into a squeal of surprise when you felt a pair of arms wrap around your waist and lift you up. Laughter erupted from you when kisses were planted on your face and you realized that it was Bucky. He set you back down on your feet and you turned to face him.

His hair and t-shirt were drenched, but you weren’t sure how much of it was from sweat and how much was from water. He leaned back against the wall of the hallway and pulled you close to him. In seconds his lips were on yours, giving you a searing kiss. Your hands went to his long brown locks. He didn’t hesitate to use his tongue to probe your mouth and the scruff on his jaw tickled your face. You were both overwhelmed by the intensity, and very content.

Still, you pulled away, which caused him to frown.

Dazed you said, “Someone’s eager.”

He reached up and brushed his thumb over your chin, “Just couldn’t wait to get my hands on you, is all.”

You blushed, but shook your head. “You did great today. As always.”

“Why thank you, babydoll,” he said before kissing you again.

“Drenching yourself in water was pretty hot, I have to admit.”

He flashed a canine, “I did it just for you, after all.”

You scoffed, “Oh really?”

His blue eyes scanned your face when he pulled away. You could see them fill with darkness and lust. He leaned into your ear and his hot breath sent shivers down your spine when he spoke.

“What do you say we find an empty closet and have some fun?”

You leaned away from him to get a better look to see if he was serious and scrunched up your face when you realized he wasn’t. You loved him, but there were times when he really needed to keep his dick in his pants. You were not in the mood right now.

“Bucky, are you serious? No.”

“Why not? It’ll be real quick. No one will know,” he wiggled his eyebrows.

“I’m sure they will. Especially Tony.”

“Nah, he won’t.”

“Oh really? No one’s going to notice that the lead singer and his girlfriend have gone missing? ‘Gee I wonder what they could be doing’.”

“Okay, okay, you don’t have to be so sarcastic about it.”

You sighed, “I just mean not right now, baby. Okay? Maybe later when we get back to the hotel.”

He furrowed his brow. In order to lighten him up you kissed his jaw.

“Okay?” you repeated.

“Come on love birds! We’re going out for drinks!”

You jumped at the sound of Tony’s voice.  _Speak of the devil_. You gave Bucky a look that said, “I told you so,” and he just rolled his eyes. He pushed himself off the wall and you took his hand to pull him along down the hallway.

“Let’s go have some real fun,” you said with a grin.

* * *

 

You were all at a bar in downtown L.A. Since there was still a good chunk of time to kill, Tony thought it would be a good time to celebrate another show well done. He was a responsible manager, but never missed an opportunity to party.

When you had all entered, the boys were recognized by quite a few people, some who had even just seen the show. Bucky had to stop and take some pictures, so you went ahead and took a seat at the far end of the bar. You ordered a drink and spun back around to face the center of the bar. 

Just then, you saw Pietro squeezing through some girls in the middle. He smiled at them as they stared, threw a wink, and the girls just about swooned. However, Pietro didn’t stop to chat. Instead, when he spotted you, he headed over and took the seat next to you.

You raised an eyebrow at him, “I’m surprised you, you practically ignored those girls. Planning on talking to them later I assume?”

Pietro might not be the lead singer, but he was a lady killer all the same. You figured that it was partially because he was foreign and had an accent. There was also the messy blonde hair, the growing beard, the blue eyes, the muscles, etc. However, you also knew that it was also because he was devilishly charming, attractive, and flirty. So he never hesitated to use a pick up line (which always managed to work, to your dismay).

Those were things you had noticed about him, that everyone noticed, no doubt. Back then before you met Bucky, you had an embarrassingly huge crush on Pietro. Wanda always teased you about it, but nothing ever happened. Now that you were with Bucky, you got over that crush. The two of you were best friends and you were just happy to have him in your life still.

He shook his head, “Nah. I don’t feel like it tonight.”

The bartender gave you your drink and Pietro ordered his.

You gave him a weird look, “ That never happens. No one that catches your eye?”

You took a sip of your drink and let the alcohol sit on your tongue for a moment before swallowing. Pietro eyed you with his blue eyes that were still very bright despite the dim lighting. He shrugged his shoulder and said,

“No one new I guess.”

You furrowed your brow, not fully understanding what he meant, but you let it go. It’s not like talking about Pietro’s conquests was a favorite topic of yours to begin with. The two of you started talking about random stuff, when suddenly Bucky appeared out of the nowhere. 

He widened his eyes at you as if saying, “That was crazy,” and you widen your eyes in response. He went in between you and Pietro and ordered a beer. When the bartender handed it to him, he stepped away to put his arm over your shoulders. With a smile, you leaned into him.

Pietro flared his nostrils and downed his whiskey, but you didn’t notice the first part.

“What’d you think about the show tonight, Maximoff?” Bucky asked.

Pietro nodded as he looked down at his glass before saying, “I think we crushed it.”

“Fuck yeah we did,” Bucky said through laughter.

They talked about the rest of the tour for a bit, raving about the show they would do back home in New York at the end of the run. The more beers Bucky ordered, the more you were jostled with his movement. It annoyed you a bit, so you pulled away from him and ordered yourself another drink. You didn’t want to get drunk tonight, but you didn’t mind getting a bit tipsy.

Bucky ran his fingers through his long brown hair, which managed to send butterflies to your stomach. The hair really added to the whole rockstar look. 

He looked at you for a moment and it made you wonder what he was thinking.

“I’m gonna go talk to Steve. See what he’s up to.”

You smiled up at him, “Okay.”

“Hopefully he hasn’t gotten into a fight with someone in the alley. You know, Steve,” he rolled his eyes.

You laughed, “You know I do.”

Steve was never one to back down from a fight, especially when he was drunk. But Tony warned us to keep an eye on him should he do something that’ll mess up his playing hand.

Bucky leaned in a kissed you, kiss tongue brushing against your lower lip. You could taste the beer in his mouth. He then pulled away and disappeared beyond the crowd. You turned back towards the bar and drank what was in the newly poured glass.

“You really like him, don’t you?” Pietro asked abruptly.

You snapped your head up at him.

“Yeah, I do,” you said slowly, “That’s kind of why I’m dating him.”

“Are you sure that it’s not just because he’s a singer in a band?”

You were taken aback. The last time you talked to Pietro about your relationship with Bucky, it was on a positive note. He had been happy for you, but now as he asked you this question, he seemed different.

“Yes, I’m sure. Where is this coming from?”

He shrugged and turned his body to face you. “Maybe because it wouldn’t be that surprising. It wouldn’t be the first time it happened.”

“You really think I’m that shallow?”

“No, of course not. I just…..Don’t you think he’s kind of a douche?”

Your jaw dropped. You thought about arguing, but you knew that he had a point. Bucky could be kind of an asshole, but he wasn’t always like that with you. He could be really sweet when he wanted to and he was a total dork. A sweet dork with a very high sex drive

“He’s not always like that, okay? He’s a good guy,” you said.

Pietro made a face that showed he was unconvinced.

“What?” you asked deadpan.

“What? Nothing.”

“That face is not nothing, Piet. You’re not the best at lying, especially not to me.”

He snorted, “It’s nothing. I mean…okay, I just feel like this whole thing is getting to his head.”

“It’s his first tour, Pietro. Give him a break. And I’m surprised you’re saying any of this considering that he’s your friend and all.”

“Guys can think their friend is an asshole and still be friends with them,” he said as a matter of fact.

You shook your head, “Boys are so weird.”

He laughed and you couldn’t help but join in. You had to admit, you really liked his laugh.

“I’m just looking out for you, Y/N,” he said with a protective air. “We’ve been friends since we were kids.”

He bumped his shoulder with yours and you smiled.

“Besides,” he said, “Wanda would kill me if I didn’t.”

You giggled. He had that right. Wanda was a force of nature and cared very deeply about us. 

Your shoulders kept brushing and you glanced at him, his eyes were on you. It made your heart flutter, and it was like your mind wanted to send you back, back to somewhere you hadn’t been in a while. But, no. You had to mentally slap yourself so it would stop. You had a boyfriend. Pietro was a friend. Your best friend.

You both looked away, but to continue the playfulness, you bumped his shoulder and said,

“Thank you, but I can take care of myself you know. You don’t have to worry about Bucky.”

“Alright, Y/N,” he said it almost like a sigh.

* * *

 

When Tony finally decided to call it quits, you looked for Bucky all over the place, but he was nowhere to be found in the bar. You asked Steve where he was but he had no clue, which confused you considering that Bucky went to look for him in the first place. It was Clint who said something about him going back to the hotel to get some rest. 

You found it odd, considering that he didn’t bother to tell you anything or ask if you wanted to come with. He was also very eager to get all over you, but now it seems that he was too tired to wait. He must have been fast asleep if he wasn’t even answering your texts. He had a long night after all, you couldn’t blame him for that. 

 _That large child_ , you thought.

So you all left the bar together, calling it a night.

You went back to the hotel. You, Tony, and Pietro trailed behind Clint and Steve who had a girls on their arms. They were all giggly. The big tour bus was parked outside. On quick travel days, you slept in there while on the road, but since there was a significant amount of time between this and the next tour date, you booked a hotel, which was really nice.

As you walked into the hotel lobby, there was a very flowery scent. Soft and clean. You got to the elevator and the two couples felt no shame in making out in the middle of an elevator. You squeezed yourself closer to Pietro who was snickering. You shot him a glare, which only amused him more.

“I can’t with these guys,” you whispered.

The elevator first stopped at Clint & Pietro’s floor, which was the one below yours and Bucky’s. Clint stepped out with his girl without even a glance back. He may have mumbled a goodbye, but you weren’t sure.

You gave Pietro a tired smile and he stepped out.

“Good night, Y/N.”

“Goodnight, Piet.”

You were still left with the other couple who was sucking face, and Tony who paid no mind to them. To your luck, it took no time for the doors to open once again on your floor. You all stepped out and walked onwards. They stopped when they go to their rooms and in a flash they were inside. Tony, of course, bid you goodnight. 

Just two doors down, was where Bucky should be.

You fished out your key from your jacket pocket and were about to unlock the door when you heard voices inside. He was awake? You stayed quiet, listening closely. There was a male voice. It was deep, clearly Bucky’s. Was he talking on the phone? Watching a movie?

Then you heard it, the other voice. The sound that made your heart drop, because it was a female voice. She was laughing. Your heart started racing. No. It can’t be.

You were almost too scared to open the door, but you willed yourself to do it. Maybe it wasn’t what you thought it was. Maybe he was watching a movie, yeah.

You swiped the key card and turned the knob. The voices stopped, the laughter died away, and when you swung the door wide open, and stepped inside, your worst fears were confirmed.

You stood frozen at the entryway with the entire room in full few. Bucky was shirtless save for the black jeans that he was pulling back on. On the bed was a woman with red hair in only a black lace bra and panties, laying there as if it were her side of the bed she was on and not yours. Her dress was on the floor as were her heels. The bed was an unruly mess. 

It was clear what had just happened here.

Your vision blurred with a surge of tears and you were sure you were seeing red too. Your heart was beating so fast and you could barely breathe. “What the fuck?”

Bucky stood frozen in place, staring at you with his hands in the pockets of his unbuttoned jeans. The girl, however, bolted up from the bed with a gasp. She looked back and forth from you to Bucky.

“Are you-? Is she your-? I’m - I - I’m getting out of here.”

She gathered up her things, not even bothering to put any of them on as she ran past you and straight out the door. You didn’t know what to do. You felt so many emotions. Why? Why? Was this a nightmare? It had to be.

Bucky stepped forward, a hand out to you.

“Y/N, baby-”

You backed away, “Don’t fucking come near me.”

Tears were falling down your cheeks as you stared at him in anger, sadness, shock.

“Babydoll-”

You let your emotions speak for you.

“I can’t fucking believe you. How could you? So that’s why you had to go and ‘talk to Steve’? That’s why you left the bar without saying anything, huh? To fuck some random girl that gave you attention?” you were livid.

He worked his jaw, but gave no response to the question, instead he said, “What did you think was gonna happen, huh, Y/N? I mean, you must have seen something like this coming, right?”

Your jaw dropped in disbelief, “Are you fucking kidding me? No, James. Waiting for my boyfriend to cheat on me was not on my to do list. Why would it be?”

“Because I’m a lead singer in a big band now. I’m on tour. Surrounded by women. You can’t blame me for giving in.”

“Surrounded by women? And you decided to go with one that wasn’t me? One that’s not your girlfriend? That hasn’t been supporting your career this whole goddamn time?”

“Is this the first time?” you asked.

He dropped his head and carded his fingers through his hair. “No.”

You reached out and put your hand on a nearby wall to hold yourself up. You felt sick to your stomach.

With eyes closed you pressed on, “How long?”

“Since the beginning of tour,” he admitted.

You wiped at your cheeks aggressively. A wave of nausea hit you. This was one of the worst experiences you have had to live. The betrayal. The disrespect. He couldn’t have just broken up with you instead of just going behind your back? Instead of stringing you along? He couldn’t have just left you in New York instead of…

“And to think that I came on tour with you,” your voice was raw, “You were the one that wanted me here in the first place and now you do this? I’m not just a groupie James, I’m your girlfriend.”

He sighed and rubbed at his eyes with the heel of his palm

“You see, the things is…I lied.”

_Oh god. Now what? Of course. Of course there was something else._

“It wasn’t my idea to have you on tour in the first place,” he finished with a pained look on his face.

You narrowed your eyes and swallowed hard, “What?”

“Yeah, It wasn’t mine. It was Maximoff’s.”

It was a surprise. This was Pietro’s idea? This whole time? The anger overpowered whatever other questions you had about the subject.

You shook your head, “You’re unbelievable. So you don’t even want me here then?”

“I never said that-”

You held out your hands to stop him. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter anymore. We’re done. Fuck you. Fuck this tour. Fuck me for trusting you. Fuck everything.”

You spun around and marched towards the door.

“Y/N. Baby-”

You wrenched the door open and before you knew it, you were going to the elevator with the intention of going down to the lobby. You weren’t sure what you were going to do next. Actually, you knew that you wanted to get out of here, but you didn’t know how. All you knew was that your heart was shattered and you couldn’t breathe. You were bawling your eyes out, your mascara running at its worst as the doors closed in front of you and the steel box descended.

You were so stupid. So fucking stupid to think that you could be with a guy like Bucky. A guy that every girl wanted. You were an idiot to think that it would work out fine. That he’d stay faithful and it would be like a modern romance. Of course it wasn’t going to work out that way.

Suddenly, the elevator stopped too fast. Several floors early. It had only stopped on the one below yours. Suddenly you were filled with dread. Somebody probably wants to get on, and you didn’t want anyone to see you in this state or have to explain anything. You just wanted to escape, but there was no way out of it, because the next thing you knew, you were met with the familiar blonde hair and blue eyes that you had grown up with.

Pietro.


	2. The Best Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After you tell Pietro what happened with Bucky, he does his best to comfort you and to distract you from doing something you might regret. Things unfold as the night progresses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think that "You With Me" by Jimmy Eat World fits well with this chapter (I just like their sound for this series idk)

Pietro’s eyes widened at the sight of you and instantly filled with concern.

“Y/N?”

You wiped at your eyes in a bad attempt to hide how much of a mess you were. He was by your side in a second, his hands on either side of your face, keeping you from curling in on yourself.

“Are you okay? What’s the matter?”

“Pietro what are you doing here? I thought you were asleep,” your stuffy nose made your voice sound weird. You lightly pushed his hands away from your face.

“I forgot my backpack on the bus,” he said it quickly only to press on with the subject at hand, “You didn’t answer my question. What happened? Why are you crying? I thought you were with Bucky.”

At the sound of Bucky’s name you could swear you were going to explode. The anger still coursed through your veins, but you weren’t sure how you were going to explain anything to Pietro without breaking down. The answer? There was no way to avoid it.

You leaned your head against the back of the elevator and closed your eyes for a second. The scene from earlier replayed in your head and you bit your lip. The redheaded stranger stripped down to her underwear and Bucky zipping up his pants, trying to hide the fact that he just had his dick in her a few minutes before. Then the disappointment and anger that washed over you.

 Your eyes fluttered open and you looked at Pietro with so much hurt and he looked so worried. He leaned against the wall with his hand.

“Y/N, you’re scaring me.”

You took a deep breathe and in a low voice you said, “I caught Bucky with another girl.”

Your lip quivered and once again you felt stupid. Stupid for letting him make you feel this way. Pietro raised his eyebrows and his eyes got darker.

“What?”

“When I went into the room, there was a half naked girl on the bed,” you explained, “I yelled at him and then I ran out.”

He stood up straighter, “I’m gonna fucking kill him.”

“So you didn’t know?”

He gave you a weird look, “What?”

“Did you know that he’s been sleeping around behind my back this entire tour?” You were accusatory. Half of you hoped you knew Pietro better than that, but the other half couldn’t be so sure. He, Steve, and Clint spend so much time with Bucky, so one of them is bound to know something.

Pietro shook his head. He looked offended.

“No, of course not! That asshole’s face would be broken by now,” he was angry now, “As a matter of fact I’m gonna go do that right now.”

He turned around and reached for the buttons, moving to press the one that led you your floor. Before he could push it, you grabbed his arm and tugged him back.

“No!”

He looked confused, “Why not? He hurt you. Why shouldn’t I kick his ass?”

“Because the last thing I want to do is go back there,” you put your fingertips on each temple, “I just want to get as far away as possible.”

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open once again, except this time you finally reached the lobby.

“Alright, then let’s go to the bus together.”

You both went out into the lobby, your own destination slowly becoming clear to you.

You shook your head, “Farther than that.”

“Then where? Downtown?”

“Nope. New York sounds about right.”

Pietro stopped in his tracks. When you looked back at him there was disbelief in his eyes.

“You want to go back home?”

“Yes,” you sighed.

“Why? There’s still the rest of the tour!”

“I’m not going to ride across the country in a bus with a guy that cheated on me, Piet! I can’t look at him. I can’t stand the idea of it. I want to get out. I want to go home.”

You spun back around and headed towards the doors that lead outside and Pietro followed. When the automatic doors opened, the cold night air hit you, but it wasn’t as cold as New York.

“So, what? You’re just gonna call an Uber to take you to the airport, book the next flight and that’s it? You’re gonna run away?”

You scoffed, “I am not running away! I’m removing myself from the situation.”

“With no suitcase?”

Now it was you who stopped dead in your step. You looked down at your empty hands and your heart sunk when you realized that you did not in fact have your luggage with you. And here you were trying to leave on a whim. In fact, your suitcase was actually in…

You groaned and turned to face Pietro, “I left my bag in the room…with him.”

All of your stuff was in there. In the room you were supposed to have shared with Bucky for the night. You couldn’t just leave without it, but you didn’t want to go back and get it. Not now. The wound was too fresh. So your already faulty “plan” to disappear was put to a halt.

You put your head in your hands and cursed, “Fuck!”

Another wave of emotions hit you and before you knew it there were hot tears flooding out again. There were footsteps and then arms circling around you. Pietro’s arms. You let yourself get engulfed in his warmth by burying your face in his chest and and wrapping your arms around his waist. It felt really good to be held right now, especially by someone you trusted. Now one of the only people you trusted.

“You were right, Piet. You were right about him. I should have listened to you. I’m such a fucking idiot,” you voice was muffled slightly by his t-shirt.

He pulled away from you far enough to get a good look at you. His brow was furrowed and he had a very serious look on his face. He wiped away tears from your cheeks with his thumb.

“Hey, you are not an idiot. Okay? He’s the idiot. He’s an asshole and a fucking idiot for ruining something great with an amazing girl like you. He doesn’t deserve you in the first place.”

Heat rose to your cheeks and you smiled. His words did make you feel a bit better. Pietro always knew what to say and how to make you feel better. You remember when you were kids and you broke your arm after falling out of a tree, he was there to talk to you and make you laugh and feel better while the ambulance came.

He cleared his throat and took a step back and put his hands in his jacket pockets.

“Let’s do something else. Do you want to go back downtown? Take a walk? Have a drink?”

All those options made you ten times more tired just thinking about them. Your feet were killing you from standing up all day. You’ve been out and about and haven’t had a chance to relax in a setting that wasn’t filled with a fuck ton of people. You just wanted to sit.

“No. I am way too tired for that.”

He bit his lip, thinking for a quick second and then, “Well, you can come with me to the bus and we can hang out in there for a bit. You can even sleep in there if you want, you don’t even have to go back to the hotel.”

His lips curved into an irresistible smile and his eyes were pleading for you to accept.

“Come on. You don’t have to leave right this second.”

Although your eyes were puffy as hell and you felt like a mess, you still managed to mirror Pietro’s smile.

“Okay.”

* * *

 

You plopped down on the sleek, black leather couch that was built into the massive tour bus. A heavy sigh escaped your lips as the relief of finally being off your feet washed over you. You slipped off your boots and jacket, settling in quite nicely into the bus. Meanwhile, Pietro went back into the small hallway of bunks to get his backpack. He had acquired the keys to the large vehicle from our driver who was inside sleeping in his own hotel room.

The bus was like a bachelor pad reshaped into a moving rectangle. To your left was the door and a TV shoved into the wall.  There was a curtain where the driver’s seat lay beyond. In front of you was another black leather couch with pillows. Next to it was a small kitchenette and bar. In front of that was a small booth and table to eat on. If you were to look down further into the place, you’d see the small hallway of bunks with black curtains meant to shield anyone in them for privacy. Beyond that was the main bedroom with a large bed. Tony was usually the one sleeping in it. Everything was covered in dark cherry wood. More curtains covered the windows on either side that allowed you to see the darkness outside.

You tried your damnedest to focus on your surroundings rather than your own dark thoughts. You were still angry, of course, but no longer crying. Soon enough, Pietro came out just in time before you could think about anything else, his backpack in his hands. He set it down on the  opposite couch before going to the mini fridge and searching it’s contents. He looked up at you.

“Do you want anything?”

You nodded, “Water, please.”

After crying so much your head started to ache and figured that you could use the hydration. Pietro reached into the fridge slammed it shut after getting two bottle of ice cold spring water in his hands. He sat down next to you and handed you your drink. You smiled at each other as you took it, the coolness felt nice on your skin and the liquid was icy in your throat when you drank it.

You sat back against your seat and traced mindless patterns into the condensation of the plastic bottle in your hands. You leaned your head against Pietro’s shoulder and exhaled hard.

“I hate him.”

“You should’ve let me kill him,” he said.

“There’s still plenty of time,” you say with no emotion, your heart heavy.

You squeeze the bottle slightly, making the material crinkle.

“I wonder if he’s even looking for me,” you wonder.

Probably not. If he really cared he would have known to check the bus.

“He hasn’t called you has he?”

You shrug the faintest of shrugs. “Don’t know. My phone’s dead.”

Not like you would answer anyway. You didn’t want to talk to him. You didn’t care about what he had to say. It would all be a waste of time anyway.

“Good. Then don’t worry about that,” was all he said.

For a moment, neither of you said anything else, just sat in silence. Pietro bounced his knee up and down. A habit of his. You knew that he was probably thinking of ways to beat the shit out of Bucky, wishing that he could at least take out his anger on the drums. You recalled a few times that you found him in his garage after getting into a fight with his parents, banging away at the drums and cymbals.  He’d get embarrassed, but you understood. It was always his outlet.

You could think of ways to take out your anger at Bucky too. You could think of ways to hurt him. Break his shit, tear it to pieces, especially the guitar he prized, but you knew it wasn’t worth it. Instead, you tried focusing on something else. On something better. So you pulled at a random memory.

“Remember when we tried baking a birthday cake for Wanda?”

Pietro chuckled, his body shaking from the action.

“Of course. We almost burned the house down trying to do it.”

You giggled, “It felt like we were doing so well, but then we turned around for five minutes.”

“And the next thing we knew the smoke detector went off and there was smoke everywhere,” Pietro continued excitedly.

“I remember you said that we didn’t need any firemen and tried putting it out and then failing miserably.”

“Hey I thought I could do it. You know…save the day.”

You snorted. “Wanda and your mom never let us near the oven since.”

You smiled widely, relishing in the hilarious memory. For a good while the both of you continued to talk about your childhood and growing up in New York with your families. You were grateful that Pietro tried his best to make you feel better and take your mind off of things. He was partly doing it to keep you from leaving, you knew. It was working for the time being.

“What about when you asked me to teach you how to play the drums?” he mentioned after about an hour.

You groaned and covered your face in embarrassment, “How could I forget? I was horrible at it.”

He laughed, “You could have learned if you tried.”

“I did try!” you smacked him in the arm, “You kept getting mad at me.”

“Pshh so did you. You tried for five minutes before you got angry, threw the drumsticks at me and stormed out of the garage.”

You burst out laughing, having almost forgotten that part of the memory.

“I did, didn’t I?”

Pietro nodded with unamused eyes and a smirk.

“I got so frustrated,” you added.

“I remember thinking that you hated me after that,” he took a drink of his water.

You calmed your laughter at that. A pang of guilt hit you and your face scrunched up..

“Oh no. Really?” you said, your eyes connected with his.

“Yeah. You didn’t talk to me for three days.”

You frowned, “I’m sorry I did that.”

You never knew that you ever made him feel that way. If only he knew that it was the complete opposite. You had wanted to learn how to play the drums to be closer to him, to impress him, but instead it ended terribly. You had no coordination whatsoever when it came to the instrument and it frustrated you. It was by no means Pietro’s fault.

“I didn’t talk to you, because I was mortified. Not because I hated you. If anything, I thought you hated me for sucking and storming out like that.”

You thought you had lost my chance with him.

He made a face and shook his head. “That’s ridiculous. I never hated you. I could never hate you.”

He enunciated every word of the last sentence and it made your stomach flutter. There was something behind his eyes that made you feel like it meant something more.

“I could never hate you either, Piet,” you whispered at a level that he could still hear.

The both of you fell silent once again and it was a dangerous thing for your mind. Because soon enough you were thinking of Bucky once again and how he betrayed you. Of all the dates you went on and the nights spent together were now a huge waste in your eyes.

The argument you had before running out replayed in your head. Every word. Then something stood out. Something that Bucky had said while you were yelling at him, but didn’t get a chance to really think about until now.

You glanced at Pietro. “You know…Bucky told me something back in his room before I left.”

Pietro looked down at you with knitted brows. “What did he say?”

You look squarely at him, into his blue eyes. “He said that it was your idea to have me on tour with you guys. Not his.”

He licked his lips and nodded slowly, but you weren’t sure what that meant.

“Is it true?” you asked.

He nodded again, but this time with more certainty.

“Yes. I was the one that suggested it in the first place.”

“Before tour, he told me that it was his idea.”

Pietro snorted, “Of course he did.”

Bucky probably did it to get on your good side, to seem like the good guy, the good boyfriend. Not to mention that he always was kind of jealous of you and Pietro’s friendship. It wouldn’t surprise you if he did it out of spite. Knowing the truth now made much more sense to you now.

Now, your interest was piqued.

“Why?”

Pietro gave you a confused look. “‘Why’ what?”

“Why did you want me to come along?”

Those hopeful feelings of the past came swirling back. The feelings you used to get when you had a crush on your best friend. That maybe, just maybe, he had feelings for you too. You finally allowed yourself to feel that way again for the first time since you started dating Bucky. 

His gaze faltered, but he just shrugged, “You’ve been by our side for so long. I figured that you deserved to come with us for the big leagues.”

You watched him with a scrutinizing eyes. Something told you that that wasn’t it. The reason you thought Bucky wanted you along was because you were his girlfriend and that he supposedly loved you to the point that he wanted you by his side. Before even being asked it never crossed your mind to go with them. It always seemed like a journey they’d take on their own, so it wasn’t like you told anything of the sort to Pietro to prompt the idea.

You twisted your body towards him. “Are you sure that’s the only reason?”

He started bouncing his knee again and fidgeting, this time it was out of nerves. Even his eyes are stripped of the arrogance they usually carry.

“Y/N. You’re my friend. My best friend.”

“And?”

You pressed on. With other girls he was always so cock sure and charming. Even on other days he was a little shit with you, but right now he was the opposite of that. He was nervous, faltering.

“And…I wanted to have you here by our side,” Pietro finally said, “…I like having you around Y/N.”

Your breath hitched.

“You do?”

“Of course! You’re my best friend-”

“You already said that,” you smirked.

“I know I was just making a point,” he was flustered at this point.

It was always a funny thing to witness when it happened. Right now it was borderline endearing. You reach out and put a hand over his, his eyes widened in surprise but he didn’t flinch away from your touch. Instead, he turned his hand over so your hand was clasped in his. His thumb already started tracing circles on your skin.

“It’s okay, Piet,” you chuckled.

It seemed to calm him down. You were ready to let the subject go. Maybe it really wasn’t the time be to be pressing this matters. Maybe he actually didn’t feel the same way. It didn’t matter. As long as you were here with him.

You let go of his hand and stood up to check what else was inside the fridge, but just as you took a few steps he said something that made you stop dead.

“I like having you around, because I’m in love with you, Y/N.”

Your jaw dropped and you instantly whirled around to look at him. His usual confidence was back like he had found it once again. It was still mixed in with a wariness. An uncertainty of what I’m thinking or about to say. Instead of stopping, he continued. His elbows rested on his knees.

“I’ve loved you since we were kids. I knew I couldn’t have you while you were with him,” he scowled at the thought of Bucky, “but it never stopped me from wanting you around. Even if it killed me to see the two of you together.”

So many emotions filled you. Not anything like how you felt earlier in the hotel room, but the complete opposite. It was happiness and longing and love. Your heart swelled and it’s heart rate quickened. Something you didn’t know could happen after having it shattered.

You quickly sat back down next to him, your eyes never leaving his face.

You noticed then, in the details that his eyes were different from Bucky’s. Bucky’s blue eyes were like steel, the color of a storm, and there was much more fire in them. Pietro’s eyes were electric, like water that surrounds a coral reef. There was still fire in them, but there was also a softness to them. Cocky, of course, but soft and caring. It was such a wonderful contrast now after everything. You don’t know why you barely noticed it.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” you asked.

“With every other girl I could ask them out in seconds, but with you….I didn’t want to ruin it…what we had. But then you found Bucky and I realized I made a mistake. I should have told you how I felt when I had the chance.”

He rubbed his face with his other hand.

“I’m such an idiot,” you both said at the same time.

Pietro furrowed his brow.

You went on, “I should have waited. I should have ignored Bucky. I’m so stupid. I should have waited for you.”

He took your face in his hands and you knew you were about to be scolded. But still, he was looking at you like you were the most beautiful woman in the world. It made you wonder how many other times he had looked at you that way when you weren’t paying attention.

“Hey, you are not an idiot. You’re not stupid. You might not be everything to him, but you’re everything to me.”

You gasped and before you knew he brought his face to yours. His kissed you hard and passionately with his soft, pink lips. Like he’s been waiting ages to do it and to be honest, so had you. You had spent such a long time fantasizing about this moment and it’s even better than anything you could have conjured up in your mind. It was real. It was perfect. It was right.

One of Pietro’s hands when to your waist and then snaked down until it was under your knee, pulling you towards him. You followed his movements without hesitation and straddled him. Now your hands were on his face and his were on your waist. Your hair cascaded down around your faces as the kiss continued. Hot and tongue tied.

The prospect of Bucky’s betrayal was out of your mind completely.  After so many years of basically falling in love with Pietro you were interrupted by your infatuation for the lead singer. Now that it was over and done with, there was nothing holding you back from finally having what you always wanted. Sure, to some it might be sudden considering that you only just found out that your ex-boyfriend had been cheating on you, but that was precisely why you lost all sense of caring. You had been so blinded by Bucky that you had forgotten what was in front of you for so long. But not anymore.

When Pietro pulled away, you were both so breathless. Laughter came from the both of you. His hand went to your hair and pushed it behind your ear, and then came to rest on your cheek. Suddenly he went serious and the air changed for a moment.

“Don’t leave. Don’t go back to New York, please.”

You sighed and put your hands on his shoulders.

“Piet, how do you expect me to stay after what he did?”

“I know. I get it, but you’ve been loving going on tour with us. I know for a fact that you would hate to leave. Don’t let him do this to you. Don’t let him push you away from this.”

There was truth to his words. When did this klutzy drummer boy get so wise all of a sudden? Still, you mulled over what he said.

“It’s going to be hard to avoid him.”

“You have me. I’ll make sure to kick his ass if he comes near you.”

“You know he is way larger than you, Pietro.”

He rolls his eyes, “Pshh I can take him.”

You shake your head. His hand falls back down to you waist and part of it makes contact with a patch of skin where your shirt lifted. It sends shivers through you.

“Look, I think you should get some rest. Sleep on it and if you still want to leave in the morning, I will personally go with you to get your stuff and pay for your flight back home. Okay?”

He looked hopeful and you smiled at him. You really didn’t want to leave. At least not as much as you initially did. You just knew you’d be sick being around a cheater. But now that you had Pietro in more ways than one, maybe it would be an easier journey than you thought. New York was still on the table, but he was right. You shouldn’t let Bucky ruin this and you should definitely sleep on it.


	3. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your once shitty night ended perfectly with Pietro's confession, but there was still one thing to deal with: Bucky. Whether or not you decided to leave, you still had to confront your cheating ex boyfriend once again, especially since all of your stuff was in his room.

The next morning, when you slowly started to wake up, you had almost forgotten where you were. For a second you had forgotten what happened the night before and thought you were in a bed in your hotel room. However, it was the faint rumbling of the bus that reminded you that you were not in fact where you thought you were. Not to mention the feel of the person you were laying on top of.

Your eyes snapped open. In front of you was black leather, which you soon realized was the material of the couch you were on. Morning light peeked in through the curtains, enough to let you see. Your head was resting on a broad chest clothed in a gray t-shirt. It rose and fell as they breathed and heat radiated from them, a heat that you never wanted to leave. You lifted your head to get a good look at their face.

Pietro’s face.

A wide sleepy smile spread across your face at the sight of him, still sleeping. He looked so cute and so peaceful.  _Can’t get into trouble when you’re sleeping_ , you thought. It’s crazy to remember how he used to look so little, at that age where both of you swore you’d look seven years old for the rest of your lives. Suddenly puberty happened and then Pietro was hot, but he was always the sassy troublemaker no matter what age. A troublemaker, but you always knew he had a sweet side.

Suddenly, your mind drifted to last night. Before the happiness seemed to fix it all…for the time being. No doubt, you were beyond ecstatic to be here, in your best friends arms like you had always wanted, but Bucky’s wound was still fresh on your heart. You still had to deal with the aftermath, which is having to see him once again. He would no doubt want to talk to you and give you something that resembled an apology. You’d draw the line if he tried to get back together with you, but somehow you doubted that he’d want that.

You groaned internally at the thought. How amazing would it be if the problem just went away on its own and you could just stay here with Pietro for the rest of tour? Wishful thinking at its best.

You also still weren’t 100% sure whether or not you were going to stay with the band or leave to New York. The idea wasn’t as urgent in your mind as it was the day before since the need to get away wasn’t as bad. If you left it wouldn’t be completely terrible. You’d have Wanda, Nat, and your mom and dad. But now that you had Pietro in more ways than one, you didn’t want to leave him.

Before he confessed his feelings to you, you figured he’d be okay without you, but now you knew the opposite. And now that you thought about it, you weren’t sure if  _you_  would be okay with him being so far knowing that you could have spent the time at his side.

 _“Don’t let him push you away from this”_ , Pietro had said.

You sighed and rested your head back on his chest. He was right.

There was the muffled sound of a voice, and then sound of the bus door opening startled you out of your thoughts. When you turned to see who had come through the door, the light from outside blinded you. There was a dark silhouette in the doorway that you couldn’t make out..until they spoke of course.

“Well fuck me sideways. This is the last thing I expected to see.”

It was Tony.

Pietro stirred beneath you and groaned. You sat up and and tried your best to shield your eyes from the blinding light, but you were still reduced to a glare. It was too early for this. Pietro felt the same way.

“Close the fucking door, Stark.”

“Fine,” Tony said before letting the door slam shut, but then immediately hitting the light switch.

This elicited another groan from the blonde drummer.

“We’ve been looking for you everywhere. Don’t either of you know how to use a goddamn phone?”

You looked up at the brunette with tired, unamused eyes. You didn’t know what time it was, but you were sure it was early. Still, Tony was dressed to the nines as per usual, in a crisp suit. Somehow, he was fully awake, not giving a shit about disturbing those who were not.

“Mine’s dead,” you said simply.

You didn’t bother to charge it, you figured it gave you an excuse not to pay attention to any of Bucky’s calls. That is, if he called you at all.

He turned his gaze on Pietro, arms crossed.

“What about you, little drummer boy?”

Pietro rubbed his face, “I must have left mine in my room.”

“Perfect,” the manager’s voice was laced with sarcasm.

His eyes were on you once again, a stern look on his face. It didn’t even matter that you weren’t part of the band, when dad mode was activated, he included you as well.

“Bucky’s been looking for you all morning.”

You sat up straighter, a little more awake after hearing that. Out of the corner of your eye, you eyed Pietro. You could see him tense at the mention of the lead singer.

“He said you disappeared last night,” Tony went on, “Didn’t say why, but he seemed worried. Now that I found you, I think I can put two and two together and see that you decided to switch one band member for the other.”

“Hey, that’s not-” Pietro started.

You scoffed glared at Tony, “First of all, if Bucky was so worried then why didn’t he come looking for me from the beginning? And second of all, It’s not like that, Tony. Not entirely. I’m guessing he didn’t tell you what happened last night?”

He shifted his weight, confusion furrowing his brow.

“No, what exactly happened last night?”

You heaved a heavy sigh and retold everything that you saw after coming back from the bar. You went into little detail when it came to the night you and Pietro had. He didn’t need to know everything. When you were done talking Tony had his hands in his pockets. He looked more sympathetic to your case.

“Well, the kid might be talented, but he’s a fucking idiot.”

Both you and Pietro made noises of agreement. For the first time that morning, the two of you looked at each other. His blue eyes were on yours and you both smiled. He eyed your lips and it sent your heart aflutter. You wanted to kiss him again, but then you remembered that you weren’t alone anymore.

“And I hate to break up whatever’s going on here, but we only have about an hour and half until we have to go back on the road. So the two of you are gonna have to get back up there, shower, and eat before then.”

The both of you nodded.  With reluctance the both of you grabbed your things and followed Tony back into the hotel. Pietro was next to you the entire time, his shoulder brushing yours. When you got in the elevator, the two of you leaned back against the wall, while Tony stood in front of you. Pietro’s hand found yours and you let your fingers interlock with his.

In a low voice he said, “So…have you decided on whether you’re going back to New York?”

“Ummm-”

Tony whirled around and interrupted before you could answer, “Back to New York? What? Why?”

You looked at him with an eyebrow cocked, “Considering that I’d be stuck in a moving rectangle with the guy who cheated on me if I stayed, I figured going back home would be the best option, but…”

When you looked at him, Pietro looked sad.

“You really want to go back home where you have nothing better to do?” Tony asked.

“I could find something do to, you know. I have a life.”

“Yeah, but you’re not going to get to do this any time that you like. Plus, everyone loves having you here. I’m pretty sure even Steve would trade having you stay over Bucky and they’re best friends.”

You snorted, “That’s a bit of an exaggeration.”

“Yeah, but it’s not too far from the truth.”

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. You looked up at Pietro and he shrugged at you while giving you a face that said, “He’s not wrong.” You just rolled your eyes as you smirked.

“Well, if you do decide on going back home, I’ll be glad to pay for your ticket, Y/N,” Tony said.

You hummed in amusement. Yet another person who offered to pay for your plane home. Tony could be a diva and a sarcastic ass, but he was a really good guy. You were glad he was the boys’ manager.

“Thanks, Tony.”

The three of you stepped out of the elevator. It was your floor. Bucky’s floor. Tony had offered back at the bus to escort you to get your stuff. Part of it was probably out of courtesy, but the other part was probably to make sure Pietro and Bucky didn’t tear each other to bits. He still had a band to manage after all. It wouldn’t benefit him to have his lead singer and his drummer injured.

You walked up to the door and Tony knocked three times. Your heart raced, but you refused to show that you were remotely scared or nervous. You were there for one thing an one thing only.

A few seconds pass and suddenly the doorknob turns and the door swings open. Your heart sinks when you see the tall, broad shouldered brunette that you used to fawn over. The person you once wanted to give your all to. It was crazy to think that just yesterday you thought yourself head over heels in love with your then boyfriend. Things change quick when one fuck up opens your eyes to better things.

Bucky frowns at the sight of Tony, but when his gaze goes behind him and locks on you, his eyes widen, his jaw sets. His eyes stay on you for a while before going to Pietro and then at your hands interlocked together. You slip your hand out of Pietro’s to cross your arms.

Tony clears his throat, “Y/N’s here to get her stuff. I suggest you let her do it.”

Bucky flares his nostrils, “Alright,” and then moves aside to let you pass.

Tony does the same, gesturing for you to go inside. You glare at Bucky as you step into the room, making sure not to touch him. Pietro follows closely behind. you could practically feel the burning rage emanating from him.

“I’ll be out here just in case. Try not to kill each other please,” Tony calls out before closing the door.

When it slams shut there’s complete silence and a tension so palpable that it could be cut with a knife. Pietro stood glaring daggers into Bucky, while the latter seemed unfazed. You chanced a glance at him before going around and picking up your things, throwing it all into your bags.

“Can we talk?” Bucky said after a few minutes. “Alone?”

Without looking up at him you said bluntly, “There’s nothing to talk about, Buck.”

“What do you mean there’s nothing to talk about? I think there’s plenty to talk about.”

“Yeah, but it’s all just a waste of time. It’s over now. I don’t want to be with you anymore.”

He paused before saying, “Can I at least apologize?”

You straightened up, duffel in hand.

“Then apologize.”

He looked at Pietro, who looked pretty fucking pissed.

“Does he have to be here?”

“Do you have a problem with him being here?” you crossed your arms.

“Yeah, this is between you and me, Y/N.”

“Yeah I thought so too until I found out that you’ve been fucking other girls behind my back, James,” you said his real name with malice, “It hasn’t been just you and me for quite some time now, has it?”

He clenched his jaw. There was silence after that and for a second you thought that he was done, but then…

“I gotta say, you move on faster than I thought you would. You get mad a me for sleeping with someone else but then you show up with him…”

You scoffed, “What?”

“You know what. How do I know you haven’t been screwing around with Maximoff behind my back too, huh?”

Your jaw dropped. Pietro made a move towards him but you held out a hand to stop him.

“Because I’m not you, Bucky. I was in love with you, or at east I thought I was. But now I know you’re not the guy I thought you were. It’s sad but it’s true. Pietro’s my best friend. He’s always been there for me and it took this entire shit show for me to realize that he will always be there for me. Something you could never do.”

Bucky pursed his lips, but didn’t argue. He had no right to. Not now. Not ever. Not about this. Pietro smiled softly, but never let his anger complete dissipate.

You finished packing up your toiletries and with that you had everything in your hands. A duffel bag and a suitcase. Now all you had to do was get ready in Pietro’s room and eat breakfast.

“I’m sorry, Y/N,” he finally said after a long time. “I did have feelings for you. It wasn’t all bullshit.”

Your face softened. You weren’t sure if it was completely genuine, but it was the best you could get from him.

“Would you do it again?” you asked. Whether you asked from masochism or genuine curiosity, you weren’t sure, but it was too late to take it back now.

He opened his mouth to speak but then shut it again. He was trying to find the right words to say, but you knew he’d never find them, because you knew the answer. He didn’t regret what he did. It’s what he wanted, a rockstar life with girls at his beck and call. You snorted at his efforts. Surprisingly it didn’t hurt as much as you thought it would.

You just hoped that one day he would wake up and realize that what he wanted was the true bullshit.

“See you later, Bucky,” you said before walking towards the door.

Before you could get your hand on the doorknob you hear the long haired man say, “Later?”

You smiled to yourself and then turned back around.

“Yeah. I still plan on staying on this tour with you guys. You might not want me here, but the others do. And to be honest, I want to be here too,” you eyed Pietro, who was grinning like an idiot.

When you turned back to Bucky you added, “You can still sleep with whoever you want. As long as you don’t touch me or talk to me, I think we’ll be fine.”

His face only seemed to fall more and more, which amused you. It brought joy to your heart after everything. You opened the door. Out in the hallway was not only Tony, but Steve and Clint. Steve looked grim while Clint looked annoyed. No doubt Tony filled them in on everything. Before anyone else could say anything, you heard Pietro say behind you,

“Oh, I almost forgot…”

You twisted around and just as your eyes landed on the pair, Pietro’s fist came into contact with Bucky’s face. The lead singer groaned and clutched his face. Bucky looked just about ready to lunge at Pietro, but just as he did, the other band members moved fast and jumped in between them. Steve held back the large brunette while Clint held back your best friend. Although Pietro was quick enough to land another punch on Bucky’s jaw. After being restrained, the pair glared at each other and you swore you heard them growl.

You watched with wide eyes. Half of you disapproved even though the other part of you was proud of Pietro.

“Maximoff, what did I say?” Tony asked in a stern tone.

“You said not to kill him, I didn’t. Or did I?” Pietro shrugged.

Tony sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Y/N, Clint, get him out of here. These two need to cool off if they’re going to spend anymore time in a confined space or on stage.”

“Come on, Piet,” you said softly.

His eyes flitted to you and he nodded. Clint loosened his grip on him and the three of you headed over to the elevator once again, this time on your way to the floor below. Clint took your suitcase. You didn’t even bother to look back at Bucky.

When you got into the steel box yet again, Pietro shook his hand. The skin was broken where his knuckles were and there was blood. You reached for it and examined it with a frown.

“I told you he was way bigger than you.”

“Yeah, but he wasn’t the one that got two punches in was he?”

You rolled your eyes and shook your head. “You’re insufferable.”

Still, he smirked at you. There was a triumphant look in his eye. Hopefully he got the violence out of his system.

When the elevator stopped and you all got out, you immediately headed to Pietro’s room. Before you could go inside, Clint stopped you to say something.

“Hey, Y/N.”

“Yeah?”

“I want you to know that I didn’t know. I mean…I had my suspicions and I should have said something, but I never knew 100%.”

You couldn’t help the lopsided smile that graced your lips. Clint was one of the last additions to the band. He had won you guys over with his witty humor and was probably one of the few people that could keep up with Pietro when he was in a mood. He was a great guy. They all were, really. Even Bucky at one point.

You put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Clint. Did Steve know?”

He made a gesture as if it was obvious, “I mean, they are best friends after all. I wouldn’t be surprised, but Steve is probably one of the only people who doesn’t put up with Bucky’s shit. If he did know, I’m sure he won’t waste time to lay it on him.”

You nodded. That was true. Steve always stood up for what he thought was right. Sometimes you forgot about it when he was out getting drunk and making out with girls, but that was still a valuable trait in him.

You smiled, “Thanks, Clint.”

“No problem, Y/N.”

He handed you your luggage and headed off to his own room.

* * *

 

After peeling out of last night’s clothes, showering, and eating via room service, you finally felt like a human being. There was about 10 minutes before you had to head down to the bus. You and Pietro sat at the edge of the bed while you disinfected the cuts on his knuckles. He hissed at the stinging sensation.

“Don’t be such a baby,” you teased.

“I’m not being a baby, that just hurts,” he argued.

“It wouldn’t hurt if you hadn’t punched Bucky in the first place now would it?” you sassed with a smile.

He rolled his eyes. “He deserved it.”

You nodded in agreement. When you were done applying the disinfectant, you put the first aid kit away and sat back down next to him. He rested his hand on your thigh and your eyes scanned his face.

“Thank you for everything, Piet. Not just for today, but for last night and for having the crazy idea to have me travel with you guys. I don’t know what I’d do without you to be honest,” your voice was soft now.

There was a blush on his cheeks and it made him look adorable despite his very alternative look with the stubble, t-shirt, and ripped jeans. He leaned in and kissed your forehead. You closed your eyes as he did so, leaning into him.

When he pulled away, the corner of his mouth lifted. “Funny, I ask myself that about you all the time.”

You looked down at his hand on your leg, hiding a blush. He ran his thumb back and forth on your skin.

Something told you that you weren’t going to regret your decision to stay.


	4. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time passes by, and soon enough, Insomnia's first tour comes to an end. In this concluding chapter, we see where you are with your relationship with Pietro, your relationship (or lack thereof) with Bucky, and how you've come to terms with the break up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this series!! Drummer!Pietro is the literal love of my life. The idea for him came to me on a day that I thought "Who would Pietro be if he was in a band" and you bet your ass he'd be the drummer. That boy has so much energy in him and it just suits him. Ugh. ANYWAYS. Enjoy this last installment!!
> 
> The song used in this last chapter is called "Get It Faster" by Jimmy Eat World!

The entire crowd waited in anticipation as the next song started to play. It was a very slow start, and you watched from backstage as the lights dimmed. Steve and Clint strummed their guitar and base very lightly. Pietro played the faintest tapping on the drums. Bucky stood front and center with his head bowed over the microphone. **  
**

Suddenly, the lead singer started to sing the first lyrics very softly.

> _I don’t care what you do_
> 
> _I’m getting out_
> 
> _No nothing ever shames me_
> 
> _Don’t want a thing from you_
> 
> _I’m going out_
> 
> _I don’t care if you’re angry_

Just as the line ends the music immediately starts blasting as the band goes all out with their instruments and Bucky sings louder now. You smile and sway as you sing the lyrics.

> _I’m getting out_
> 
> _No nothing ever shames me_
> 
> _I’m going out_
> 
> _I don’t care if you’re angry_

You were in New York again.

Except it wasn’t because you had packed up and run away like you initially intended. No, you were actually here to officially end the tour with the boys of  _Insomnia_. After almost three months of traveling all over the country and watching them perform, it was finally the last show. It was bittersweet, to say the least. Nothing compared to the time you spent with all of them (even Bucky, but you’ll get to that) and the shenanigans you got into. But, of course, all good things must come to an end, and you couldn’t be any more proud of these boys than you were now. They had come a long way since playing in the Maximoff’s garage.

You looked to your right at Wanda, who was dancing on the balls of her feet. She smiled at you wide, her green eyes illuminated by the stage lights, and you returned it in equal enthusiasm.

The last show was in New York, so she was finally able to attend it and watch. It was great to finally have her backstage with you, even if it was only for one night. You couldn’t blame her, she was getting ahead on her college education while you were out doing crazy things. At least Pietro got to see his sister for the first time in three months.

You looked out at your boyfriend who was pounding away at the drums like he always did. His silver-like hair was sticking to this forehead in some places due the sweating. He had an intense gaze as he concentrated on playing the song. The way he did it was so effortless and wild. You couldn’t help but get all oogly eyed whenever you stopped to watch him.

It was like when you were kids and you had a massive crush on him, but multiplied by ten. There was no more hiding your feelings for each other anymore. He was yours now and you were his and nothing made you happier than that fact alone.

Your gaze travelled up the stage to the long haired brunette who was now your ex boyfriend.

Things were by no means, sunshine and rainbows between the two of you. There would always be some underlying anger, but it was safe to say that you didn’t want to tear him to shreds like you did before. He cheated on you and broke your heart, and that wasn’t the easiest to get over. You were never going to talk like you did once before, and most of the time he still avoided your gaze, but you just couldn’t find it in yourself to give a shit anymore. The feelings you once had for him were no longer there, they were reserved for someone else. For someone who was never going to betray you like he once did. But at least now you could bare the idea of being in the same room as him.

> _I don’t care what you do_
> 
> _I’m getting out_
> 
> _No nothing ever shames me_
> 
> _Don’t want to thing from you_
> 
> _I’m going out_
> 
> _I don’t care if you’re angry_

Had it been any other band that you weren’t close with, it would have been vastly different. You would have been on the first plane back home and crying in your bed for a week or two. But you had Tony, Steve and Clint, and most especially, Pietro, so it made the healing process way easier that you expected it to. Although, your drummer boy still wanted to punch Bucky half of the time, even they were on better terms now.

> _I should’ve thought things through_
> 
> _Yeah I’m holding out_
> 
> _But not getting an answer_
> 
> _I want to do right by you_
> 
> _I’m finding out that_
> 
> _Cheating gets it faster_

You snorted at the lyrics.  _How ironic_.

* * *

With the last lyric sung and the last note played, the tour was officially over. Everyone cheered and clapped after each member gave a short speech thanking everyone for coming. Soon enough, the crew went out on stage to start packing everything up. The boys took their time taking pictures like they did after every show. Meanwhile, you and Wanda waited further backstage, in the concrete hallway like you usually did while you waited for the boys. 

Tony appeared and smiled at the two of you.

“Well, it was a good run, wasn’t it?” he asked.

You nodded, “The best. It’s gonna be weird not being stuck on a bus with these guys anymore.”

“Yeah, but I’m more than happy to go back to my real bed with my lovely wife, Pepper.”

“Mmmm a real bed sounds nice,” you nodded.

“Will I be seeing you again on the next tour?”

You shrugged, “I’d love to, but I’m not exactly an essential part of the band, Tony. I’m just a roadie. That’s not something you get paid for.”

“But you keep the drummer happy,” he pointed out.

You chuckled, “Once again, I don’t get paid for that.”

Tony crossed his arms and frowned. You gave him a weird look.

“What?”

“Well…you could get paid if you wanted to.”

You gave him an even weirder look and he kept talking when he noticed.

“Not for being Maximoff’s girlfriend. Not that. But you have helped me a lot with my managing duties. Lord knows I needed the help.”

You tilted your head in agreement. You had taken on some small jobs for Tony while on tour. There was only so much you could handle of standing around and doing nothing, so you asked him if he needed assistance. He was more than glad to give you things to do and plan out. Thinking of this, you realized what he meant.

“You want to pay me for that?”

The door opened and you could hear the rushing sound from outside. The boys were coming, and Pietro was the first to come through the door. His eyes found yours immediately his face brightened up. A huge, adorable smile broke out on his lips. Your own attention shifted to him, momentarily forgetting what you had been talking about.

Still, Tony kept talking.

“Yeah, why not?”

That wouldn’t be so bad. You’d need the money, no doubt.

Pietro rushed over to you and picked you up off your feet. You squealed in delight as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders. When he set you back down he gave you a big kiss and the moved on to wrap his sister in a hug.

Tony didn’t let this keep him from getting to his point.

“You know, Y/N. If you really need the job, you can work with me to manage the band.”

All three of you stopped and whipped  your heads to look at Tony. You had to mentally shake your head because you weren’t sure if you heard him right. Was Tony Stark really offering you a job?

“Which means helping out with business and creative decisions and helping out on the next tour as well,” Tony added.

Your jaw dropped. Pietro looked at his sister and then looked back and forth between you and Tony.

“Wait, you want to hire, Y/N?” Pietro’s brows scrunched together.

“You want me to be your co-manager for the band?” you asked right after.

“Assistant manager, not co-manager,” Tony corrected.

You waved him off, “Yeah, same thing.”

“No, not really,” he shook his head.

Pietro’s eyes lit up. “That’s great. That means you can come with us again!”

You smiled at him and looked back at Tony.

“You’re being serious?”

“Of course. You have knack for it. Not to mention that you know the band better than I do.”

You were speechless and didn’t know what else to say. As a kid you always wished you could join the band, but figured out pretty quickly that your musical talents were shit. Still you had hope that you’d always somehow be by their side, but for some reason this never occurred to you.

You had thought your run with the boys was a one time thing, but apparently not.

“Think about it,” Tony said with a small grin and stalked off to do whatever it is that he needed to do, but first called out, “Who knows? Maybe the next one will be a world tour!”

When you looked at Pietro, he raised his eyebrows.

“Wooooow,” Wanda said from the other side of you. “Assistant band manager. Are you gonna take the job?”

You eyed them both and smiled wonderingly. “Well, it’d be pretty stupid of me not to, wouldn’t it?”

* * *

Of course, you all went out for drinks to end the night. It was a small form of celebration with drinks on Tony and a small toast. But still it was was going to be nothing compared to the party he had planned to officially end the tour (or so he said).

You, Pietro, and Wanda sat at one of the booths, Steve and Bucky were talking at the bar stools, and Clint was flirting up a storm with the bartender. You and Pietro sat on one side while Wanda sat on the other. Your boyfriend had his arm around you and Wanda took notice of it.

“I still can’t believe you guys are finally together,” she marveled.

“Wanda, it’s been over two months now,” you stated.

“I know, but this is the first day I actually got to see it for myself in person,” she said, “I swear, just yesterday you were asking my permission to be in love with Pietro.”

Your eyes widened and you gave Wanda a look that said “Really, you had to bring that up?” All she did was shrug.

Pietro looked at you with a cocked eyebrow. “Oh really? I didn’t know this.”

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes. He found too much amusement in this even though he knew very well about your feelings for him back then.

“Yes you did.”

“I didn’t know you asked her permission to like me.”

You refused to look at his smug face. “She’s my best friend and you’re her brother I thought it would be weird if I liked you.”

“That’s cute, babe. Embarrassingly cute.”

He kept leaning in closer as if to force you to look at him, so you just reached up and pushed his face away.

“Stoooop ihateyou.”

He laughed and kissed your cheek before straightening back up. “Noyoudon’t.”

Wanda kept watching you guys with an amused smile.

“You guys are perfect. I’ve been shipping this for years and for a second I thought it wouldn’t happen, because of him.” She motioned with her head towards Bucky.

You all glanced at the lead singer, who was unaware of your gazes.

“Believe me, you’re not the only one,” Pietro said.

You gave him a sideways glance and a reassuring squeeze. Pietro took a sip of his drink.

“So,” Wanda started with a face that meant no good, “When’s the wedding?”

Pietro gasped and nearly choked on his drink. This prompted a burst of laughter from you and Wanda. When he was done from his coughing fit, he narrowed his eyes at his twin.

“Very funny, Wanda.”

* * *

At the end of the very long night, you and Pietro headed home. Home being Pietro’s apartment. Wanda had gone home before you guys did, but now that you were back in New York,  you’d be able to see her more often anyway.

When you got into the elevator, you realized how happy you were to get some alone time after everything. Pietro had his arm resting on your shoulders and was drummer a beat that only he could hear with his hand. 

“Alone at last,” he said.

You looked up at him and smirked, “Finally.”

He looked a little surprised for a second before his eyes darkened.

“You’re not tired are you?” he asked innocently.

“Nope. Are you?”

“Nope.”

When the elevator doors opened, you grabbed his hand and pulled him along the hallway, eager to get inside. And eager to get your hands on him if you were honest. He chuckled knowingly.

You leaned against the wall next to his door while he took his keys out to unlock it. The two of you smiled at each other cheekily. When he finally got the door open, it was his turn to pull you inside. Just as quickly as he slammed the door shut, he had you pinned against the wood.

You giggled against his lips.

“You don’t know how much I love that sound,” he said as his lips trailed kisses from your lips to your jaw to your neck.

You let out a little moan at the feeling. He chuckled and pulled back to get a good look at your face.

“And I love that one too,” he grinned. His eyes were lustful and no doubt yours were too. You could feel it in the heat of your face and abdomen.

“Well, there’s plenty of more where that came from,” you said as you tugged him to probe his mouth with your tongue.

After a content hum, he pulled back once again only to rest his forehead against yours. You wanted to whine about the fact that he was slowing things down, but you settled for a pout. He ran his thumb over your lower lip. His hot breath fanned over your face and his blue eyes were still very bright despite the dim lighting. Your hands slid under his shirt and rested on his toned skin. He shuddered.

“And I love you,” he breathed out.

Your breath hitched. You had heard him say it so many times now, yet it still made you feel electric. Maybe it was the way he said it or the way he looked at you when the words left his lips. Whatever it was, it was enough to make you weak at the knees.

“I love you too,” with as much vigor as you felt.

After a beat, he peeled his jacket off and threw it on the floor. You did the same and your shoes were next to come off. In one swift motion, Pietro hoisted you up from behind your thighs until you were able to wrap your legs around his waist.

“Let’s take this to the bedroom,” he drawled.

As he carried you there, you sucked on his neck and tugged on his lower lip with your teeth.

When you got to the bedroom, you stripped each other of your clothing and he laid you down on the bed. For a better part of the night, it was feeling of skin on skin, hands all over each other, and pure ecstasy.

* * *

The moonlight shined in through the window. You had your face buried in his neck and your arm lazily draped across his chest. His scent was like a drug, and it was mixed in with the smell of sweat. With your fingers, you traced circles on his skin. Meanwhile he did the same thing on your bare hip. All of this mixed with the sound of his breathing was enough to make you feel blissful.

“I can’t believe it’s over. Tour, I mean,” Pietro said softly.

“Yeah…it’s been a wild ride, hasn’t it?”

“Tell me about it.”

“Oh, I can.”

You both chuckled, clearly thinking about how tour had started versus how it ended. You had joined with the illusion that Bucky had wanted you along and that he loved you when in reality it was a lie. Now you were with Pietro, your childhood best friend. You never would have expected it to happen. Wished for it, yes, but not expected.

“You know, I’m glad Bucky fucked up. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here with you right now,” Pietro admitted.

You hummed.

“Yeah me too,” you said. “Everything happens for a reason, right?”

“Exactly.”

“I’m just surprised that you guys didn’t tear each other apart after you punched him twice.”

He laughed. “I’m pretty sure that’s because you’re a good majority of my impulse control. I can’t count the amount of times you’ve saved my ass or kept me from getting in trouble.”

You snorted. Already sorting through the memories in your mind like filing cabinets.

“Oh I can definitely count the times.”

“Oh really?” he leaned back to look at your face and give you a look.

“Shall I name all the times I lied to your parents to save you from getting in trouble?”

He chuckled, “Okaaay.”

“There’s that girl I told you to stay away from…”

“Oh god.”

“Or that time you almost got arrested…”

You counted it all on your fingers.

“Alriiight I get it.”

“Or that-ah!”

He rolled the two of you over until he was hovering over you, his big ocean eyes pierced into yours.

“Don’t like being called out Maximoff?” you smirked.

“When it comes from you? I can tolerate it…sometimes.”

He kissed you as if to shut you up before you could say anything else. One of his hands came to rest on your neck and it sent shivers down your spine. When he disconnected from you, you both gazed at each other for a while. It was what you liked about your relationship. You had the ability to go back and forth between banter and comfortable silence.

Out of the corner of your eyes you found the tattoo that was on his the inside of his forearm. It was one that he got while in New Orleans and it was a pair of drumsticks going through a skull in an “X”. On the outside of his other forearm were four chevrons or arrows going down that he got in Portland. And if you were to look at the fingers of his right hand, you’d see “live fast” separately on the inside of his middle and ring fingers. They were the first of many tattoos he had planned to get.

You ran your fingers over the skull and drumsticks. You could feel that that part of his skin was raised compared to the rest.

Pietro took this opportunity to ask: “You’re taking Stark’s offer, right?”

You looked back up at him. You had thought about Tony’s job offer, but it was only briefly considering that you were out all night. But, that didn’t mean that you hadn’t already made up your mind. It wasn’t that hard of a decision after all.

You nodded with a smile, “I think I am.”

His eyes flashed with excitement, “Yes!”

“You know that would technically make me your boss, right?” you pointed at him with what was supposed to be a stern finger, “Which means that we can’t screw around all the time next tour.”

He snorted, unmoved, “Uhhh, says who?”

“Uhhh, says me.”

“Pshh. 50 bucks says you break on the first day.”

“I am not taking that bet.”

“Because you know you’ll lose.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Shut up,” you rolled your eyes but still managed to smile.

He was insufferable, but you loved him.

He rolled the two of you once again so he was on his back and you were resting on his chest. Your eyelids were starting to grow heavy as sleep called to you. For a second you thought about the early start you had the next day, when you realized that you didn’t have any. Tour was over and there was no rush to go to the next city in time. Even though you already missed it, you were happy to finally sleep in. No more getting woken up by Tony and no more sharing a bus with a bunch of sweaty band boys.

Well…just one.  _Your_  sweaty band boy. Your drummer boy.

And who better to sleep in with than him?


End file.
